A couple string tests

I understand, there is a price for everything: you want to hit harder and/or play more frequently -- there is price to pay. You're either going to go broke on string jobs, or become disabled and then no tennis for you anymore plus medical bills to burn all your savings from cheaper stringbeds. What gives?..

I understand, there is a price for everything: you want to hit harder and/or play more frequently -- there is price to pay. You're either going to go broke on string jobs, or become disabled and then no tennis for you anymore plus medical bills to burn all your savings from cheaper stringbeds. What gives?..

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Well, if I had been smarter about revolution, I wouldn't have had any arm problems and the wrist issue is because I broke my wrist when I was 12.

Mikeler, do you think radical solution like playing with full nat gut only would prevent anything like this from happening?

I'm getting sick and tired of all this string business. It seems like the only way to play safe at higher level is full gut or nat/syn gut hybrid as the only price/performance compromise.

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It might help a little bit. Some of the multis I use are just about as soft as gut for my arm. I think I may be squeezing the racket too hard. I'm also going to start going down in tension on my setups to give me a little more pop.

Oh, Pacific Classic will do. Just please use the same diameter. I guess 16L will do?
Really looking forward to this.

EDIT: Just a follow up question, What are the differences of ClassicGut, ToughGut, PrimeGut, and PrimeGut Orange Bull (this one is really expensive, more expensive than wilson and prince) ?

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It will have to be 16g gut and 17 gauge rpm.

I haven't tried orange bull. Tough gut is the stiffest and lowest powered, followed by classic, then prime, which is soft and powerful. Prime is my favorite of the three, but for the price, classic takes it. Tough gut is the stiffest by far.

I haven't tried orange bull. Tough gut is the stiffest and lowest powered, followed by classic, then prime, which is soft and powerful. Prime is my favorite of the three, but for the price, classic takes it. Tough gut is the stiffest by far.

Stringing- The yonex was incredibly sharp. It strung up without too many problems, I just had to be careful doing the crosses because of the sharpness.

Groundstrokes- Very, very good. I strung it too tight the first time and it actually played rather springy. It had okay spin and just felt too powerful. However, when I lowered the tension, it played so much better. It didn't gain any power when I strung it lower, but the spin was suddenly there. It was very similar to tour bite, as a matter of fact. It didn't have quite the power/spin combination that makes TB so unique, but it had almost as much power and spin. It completely lacked feel and feedback, though, which was a serious negative. Sure, it played well, but if I can't feel what's going on on the string bed, I don't feel as confident playing with it. Regardless, very nice from the baseline.
Overall- 9/10

Serves- Very good. Not great, but very good. The spin and pop helped a lot with my serve. For some reason, though, I just felt like I lacked some control on really hard serves. It may have just been me.
Overall- 8.75/10

Volleys- Bleh. Just bad. I talked about the lack of feel and feedback already. It just felt bad at net. Nothing really good about it here.
Overall- 6.5/10

Durability- Good. Physically and playability-wise, it has held up well. The MCS crosses just got chewed up too fast.

Softness- 1 being the softest, 10 being the stiffest. It was somewhat stiff. Not incredibly stiff, but still stiff none the less. Nothing like revolution thank goodness. The MCS crosses helped with the stiffness, though.
Overall- 5.75/10

I had never really tried out a yonex string before. This string impressed me for the cost. I think it was around 8 or 9 dollars a pack, and I didn't see a reel on TW, but it played very well for the price. The only real problem was the lack of feel and feedback. Everything else was very good, though.
Overall- 8.75/10

Like I previously mentioned, I will not put up a review of Revolution because I was unable to use it for long enough the give a good review. I will say that, from what time I had with it, if you have the arm to handle the high stiffness, go for it. It plays very well.

A couple things. Firstly, Because of ongoing arm problems, I have switched to the exo3 tour. I have not had any problems with it yet. Secondly, Vamospanda, I'm sure you are getting impatient. I will put up a review tonight when I get to a computer.

Groundstrokes- You could almost copy the gut/alu rough review here. It played very well...for about 3 hours. It had very nice spin and control. After those three hours, though, it just went to garbage. It lost so much playability I had t put it down. I tried to give it a couple days to stabilize but to no avail. It's just a very short lived setup.
Before 3 hours- 9/10
After- 5/10

Serves- Very good. My serves didn't really seem too affected by the short lifespan. They were very good to start and felt like it stayed that way. Good pop as well as spin. Slice serves were nasty.
Overall- 9.5/10

Volleys- I mostly hit attacking volleys, so again I didn't really notice too much of a change. Drop volleys were completely different though. As odd as it sounds, it almost got better for drop volleys after death. I don't know of it was the tension loss or what, but they actually felt better.
Overall- 9/10

Durability- Physically, not great for a gut poly hybrid. Playability wise it was terrible.
Overall- 4/10

Softness- 1 being the softest, 10 being the stiffest
Overall- 3/10

This review basically reflects my sentiments about RPM in any setup. It plays very well for a short period of time. Would I use it if I got it for free? Of course. However, for the lack of playing time and high price tag, it is not a setup I would recommend.
Overall- 6/10

A couple things. Firstly, Because of ongoing arm problems, I have switched to the exo3 tour. I have not had any problems with it yet. Secondly, Vamospanda, I'm sure you are getting impatient. I will put up a review tonight when I get to a computer.

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Wow, you went straight to the GrandDaddy of arm friendly frames. The Exo3 Tour is very different, but most people seem to like it once they get used to it. Stay away from the poly though. Do have a sponsorship with Prince?

Wow, you went straight to the GrandDaddy of arm friendly frames. The Exo3 Tour is very different, but most people seem to like it once they get used to it. Stay away from the poly though. Do have a sponsorship with Prince?

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Haha no. I need to get my ranking all the way back up before I can get one. I am using full addiction for the most part and haven't had an issue. It definitely is different, but it plays very well. It actually feels a little more powerful than my apdgts. I had to add some lead to get it t feel stable though.

Groundstrokes- You could almost copy the gut/alu rough review here. It played very well...for about 3 hours. It had very nice spin and control. After those three hours, though, it just went to garbage. It lost so much playability I had t put it down. I tried to give it a couple days to stabilize but to no avail. It's just a very short lived setup.
Before 3 hours- 9/10
After- 5/10

Serves- Very good. My serves didn't really seem too affected by the short lifespan. They were very good to start and felt like it stayed that way. Good pop as well as spin. Slice serves were nasty.
Overall- 9.5/10

Volleys- I mostly hit attacking volleys, so again I didn't really notice too much of a change. Drop volleys were completely different though. As odd as it sounds, it almost got better for drop volleys after death. I don't know of it was the tension loss or what, but they actually felt better.
Overall- 9/10

Durability- Physically, not great for a gut poly hybrid. Playability wise it was terrible.
Overall- 4/10

Softness- 1 being the softest, 10 being the stiffest
Overall- 3/10

This review basically reflects my sentiments about RPM in any setup. It plays very well for a short period of time. Would I use it if I got it for free? Of course. However, for the lack of playing time and high price tag, it is not a setup I would recommend.
Overall- 6/10

Firstly, I've retooled my forehand and fixed some fundamental issues which has now alleviated any arm problems. Along with that, I have now moved back to my aeropros (yes!!). I've sort of rediscovered SPPP regular and hex and have been very happy with both strung at around 43. They work so well because the problem with low tensions before was they would lose tension and become a bit unwieldy after an hour or two. The tension maintenance of SPPP helps solve that problem.

Secondly, I've found that I can get some very good durability (even better than full poly) with poly mains and a thick nylon/synthetic cross. It plays surprisingly well, lasts longer, and is cheaper. Awesome.

Thirdly, I will have to officially resign from string testing. Not just due to what I will talk about later, but also because I have so much going on right now I don't have time.

Lastly, and to in essence wrap up this thread, let me say this. In all these string tests, many of which I didn't end up writing a review on, I have found one thing. Strings really don't matter much. I can honestly say I feel I could play with any string and play within 5 or 6 percent of my top game. This epiphany hit me when I thought I had strung up some mosquito bite. I hit for two hours, got home, and then realized I had strung isospeed baseline spin by accident. I honestly wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't had to string another guy's racket with MB and realized it felt different than what I had strung earlier.

So I guess that's it. I'd still be glad to answer any questions people want to ask, but for now, I bid this thread adieu.

Firstly, I've retooled my forehand and fixed some fundamental issues which has now alleviated any arm problems. Along with that, I have now moved back to my aeropros (yes!!). I've sort of rediscovered SPPP regular and hex and have been very happy with both strung at around 43. They work so well because the problem with low tensions before was they would lose tension and become a bit unwieldy after an hour or two. The tension maintenance of SPPP helps solve that problem.

Secondly, I've found that I can get some very good durability (even better than full poly) with poly mains and a thick nylon/synthetic cross. It plays surprisingly well, lasts longer, and is cheaper. Awesome.

Thirdly, I will have to officially resign from string testing. Not just due to what I will talk about later, but also because I have so much going on right now I don't have time.
Lastly, and to in essence wrap up this thread, let me say this. In all these string tests, many of which I didn't end up writing a review on, I have found one thing. Strings really don't matter much. I can honestly say I feel I could play with any string and play within 5 or 6 percent of my top game. This epiphany hit me when I thought I had strung up some mosquito bite. I hit for two hours, got home, and then realized I had strung isospeed baseline spin by accident. I honestly wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't had to string another guy's racket with MB and realized it felt different than what I had strung earlier.

So I guess that's it. I'd still be glad to answer any questions people want to ask, but for now, I bid this thread adieu.

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Quite possibly the truest statement on TTW. I did/do it for the fun aspect alone. Having used gut mains with 15 dollar poly crosses, I've settled on a 90/reel poly with syn gut crosses. Why? That extra 1-5% difference in my game caused by different strings isn't due to me. All that really matters is if it feels right to you and complements how you like to play. If you find that combination or if someone finds it for you, then just stick with it. More $$$ != better. Over in my thread people probably thought I was out of my mind for loving Iso Basline/OGSM more than strings 10x the price. It's just that when you find that combination that just works, there's no point searching for more. Get the more from yourself because at the end of the day, string choice does not make you a better player. Only you can do that.

If you really look at your results, you'll probably find that maybe you lost a match or two that you should not have with some string that played awful. Maybe you won a match or two you shouldn't have with your favorite setup. Other than that, the results don't seem to change all that much with various string setups.

If you really look at your results, you'll probably find that maybe you lost a match or two that you should not have with some string that played awful. Maybe you won a match or two you shouldn't have with your favorite setup. Other than that, the results don't seem to change all that much with various string setups.

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Sure. Obviously if I switch to full forten nylon before a match I won't be on, but overall it isn't going to make enough of a difference to care.

Firstly, I've retooled my forehand and fixed some fundamental issues which has now alleviated any arm problems. Along with that, I have now moved back to my aeropros (yes!!). I've sort of rediscovered SPPP regular and hex and have been very happy with both strung at around 43. They work so well because the problem with low tensions before was they would lose tension and become a bit unwieldy after an hour or two. The tension maintenance of SPPP helps solve that problem.

Secondly, I've found that I can get some very good durability (even better than full poly) with poly mains and a thick nylon/synthetic cross. It plays surprisingly well, lasts longer, and is cheaper. Awesome.

Thirdly, I will have to officially resign from string testing. Not just due to what I will talk about later, but also because I have so much going on right now I don't have time.

Lastly, and to in essence wrap up this thread, let me say this. In all these string tests, many of which I didn't end up writing a review on, I have found one thing. Strings really don't matter much. I can honestly say I feel I could play with any string and play within 5 or 6 percent of my top game. This epiphany hit me when I thought I had strung up some mosquito bite. I hit for two hours, got home, and then realized I had strung isospeed baseline spin by accident. I honestly wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't had to string another guy's racket with MB and realized it felt different than what I had strung earlier.

So I guess that's it. I'd still be glad to answer any questions people want to ask, but for now, I bid this thread adieu.

Interesting comments. I don't have anywhere near your experience with all these different strings, but I had trouble discerning all these huge differences that everyone seems to experience.

BTW, you said Tour Bite needs to be strung low. How low?

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Well, it depends. I liked it the most at around 40 to 43 pounds. TB, more than almost any poly I've used, maintained the same power level even when strung lower, and only had improved spin. Some disagree though. It all depends on the person.

I think that statement needs to be qualified a bit-- strings do matter. Are they the sole determining factor in your game? Definitely not. But within reason, I don't think that they will jump you from 2.0-5.0 or reverse.

Poly plays like poly, multi plays like multi and gut like gut. Poly does NOT play like gut but, within reason, the original argument stands. I'm still playtesting because I enjoy it and I like helping other people. Ultimately I'm too much of a stringwh*re not to but otherwise, my hitting frames are all strung under 5.00 cost with full poly or cheap poly/synth.

What U&C is saying I think is that if you tried to hit a short, cross-court passing shot with full poly, that exact same stroke with full syn gut would not produce the same result. You COULD hit that same shot with full syn gut, multi or natty (Sampras was a wizard at this), but you just can't rely on the string giving you that extra nose-dive at the end. You've got to change the trajectory or seriously up the RHS.

I love what U&C is saying because I agree. Strings matter to me in terms of feel and durability, but I adjust when it comes to spin/power and all the rest. If I string at a low tension with full poly I get the ball I want : The same ball if I went a little higher with gut poly. Now the feel and comfort changes, but my game does not.

The main thing for me is price range. So while I consider tour bite the best string out there, does my game drop off much when I drop down to yonex poly tour, or gosen polyon? Not really enough to justify the cost.

I love what U&C is saying because I agree. Strings matter to me in terms of feel and durability, but I adjust when it comes to spin/power and all the rest. If I string at a low tension with full poly I get the ball I want : The same ball if I went a little higher with gut poly. Now the feel and comfort changes, but my game does not.

The main thing for me is price range. So while I consider tour bite the best string out there, does my game drop off much when I drop down to yonex poly tour, or gosen polyon? Not really enough to justify the cost.

What U&C is saying I think is that if you tried to hit a short, cross-court passing shot with full poly, that exact same stroke with full syn gut would not produce the same result. You COULD hit that same shot with full syn gut, multi or natty (Sampras was a wizard at this), but you just can't rely on the string giving you that extra nose-dive at the end. You've got to change the trajectory or seriously up the RHS.

Hey Up&comer, I've been using Signum Pro strings, mostly SPPP because it seems to hold tension really well, and I'm curious as to what might give similar performance at a similar price with a little more spin (the one thing it seems to lack). Thanks!

Hey Up&comer, I've been using Signum Pro strings, mostly SPPP because it seems to hold tension really well, and I'm curious as to what might give similar performance at a similar price with a little more spin (the one thing it seems to lack). Thanks!

Great thread by the way!

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SPP HEXtreme might be what you're looking for. While there's a fairly significant difference in price in the states, if you buy it in the UK, it's a heck of a deal.